Remembering and Honoring Leo P. Bergin III

It is with deep sadness that McDonald Carano announces the passing of Leo P. Bergin III on May 3, 2026. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Leo’s name to the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows and Our Lady of Snows Catholic Welcome Home Project. The obituary published in the Reno Gazette-Journal is available here.

Leo joined McDonald Carano in 1970. In addition to his law practice, Leo served as the Firm’s first Managing Partner from 1972-2002. As the Firm developed from a 3-4 partner office into a medium-sized, multi-disciplinary law firm, Leo single-handedly served as the Firm’s financial and operations manager. For more than 50 years, Leo had an extraordinary professional influence on McDonald Carano as an institution and a special personal influence on every member of the McDonald Carano family.

Leo was a leader, mentor and friend to everyone who had the pleasure of having him in their lives. Leo was kind-hearted and generous. He cared deeply about everyone who worked at McDonald Carano and their families. Leo was authentic, compassionate, and empathetic. Leo was a humble champion for helping others, an impassioned crusader for building a vibrant and supportive community, and a tireless visionary for doing good by doing right. Leo will be profoundly missed, yet his enormous heart and caring spirit are woven into the fabric of our law firm.

As demonstrated by the successes of the law firm he developed, Leo was imbued with tremendous business acumen, and was a well-known and respected leader in the Northern Nevada community. In 2025, he was recognized as one of three “Influential Leaders” in Northern Nevada Business Weekly’s Best In Business awards. His decades of dedication to the community includes serving on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows since 2004, including serving as President in 2011. He was instrumental in the organization’s growth to 59 clubhouses and school sites (particularly the Donald L. Carano Youth & Teen Clubhouse in Reno and the William N. Pennington Youth & Teen facilities in Reno and Winnemucca), eight early learning centers, eight communities served, and more than 14,500 members. Leo received the Boys & Girls Club’s Distinguished Service Award (video) in 2013. He also received a Skill, Integrity, & Responsibility Award (video) from the Nevada Chapter of the Associated General Contractors in 2012.

Leo was instrumental in McDonald Carano’s prominent standing in Nevada’s legal community. Leo’s influence on the legal profession also reached around the world. He was a founding member and member of the Board of Directors of Meritas, the preeminent global legal network created in 1990 that has grown to more than 170 law firms in over 90 countries helping clients do business around the world. McDonald Carano is the only Nevada member of Meritas.

Leo attended the University of Notre Dame and obtained his J.D. from Stanford University. He served in the Nevada Air National Guard before embarking on a distinguished legal career.

About McDonald Carano

In 2024, McDonald Carano celebrated its 75ᵗʰ Anniversary of serving Nevada’s legal, business, government, and civic communities. More than 60 lawyers and government affairs professionals serve Nevada, national, and international clients from our offices in Reno, Las Vegas, and Carson City. McDonald Carano provides transactional, litigation, regulatory, and government affairs services to startups, corporations, private companies, trade associations, nonprofits, public entities, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices throughout Nevada. We are deeply committed to supporting local communities by volunteering our time, resources, and services, including pro bono legal services, to nonprofit organizations, charitable foundations, and public service entities. We are proud to be your Nevada law firm since 1949.

Media Contact

Mark Buckovich

mbuckovich@mcdonaldcarano.com
702.257.4559